Keeping Up

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"25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." (Gal. 5)

The lifestyle of every believer is a dependence on the Spirit of God. Since we are new creations in Christ, and our true identity lives, moves and has its very being in God, it is not something we make happen--we live by he Spirit. Keeping in step with the Spirit is a process of each child of God learningto follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Divine love is initiating, and God has always initiated a relationship with us. Jesus brought the disciples into the upper room to initiate a warm, intimate interface where He promised to send the Holy Spirit. He said that the Holy Spirit wold comfort us, lead us into all truth, and testify of Jesus. So keeping in step with the Spirit is a faith walk. Sometimes we fall behind like a little child. I teach at the same school my daughter attends, and every morning we walk in together; sometimes she falls behind, and when i look back, sometimes she has put her bookbag down because it was too heavy, or she dropped something; sometimes she is distracted by a bug or some other interest; nonetheless, she has fallen behind, and I either wait or call for her. We get distracted; in fact, our minds are bombarded daily from all sides to look to everything and anything to get our needs met. If walking in the Spirit is walking in the truth, then falling behind is believing a lie, and therefore, keeping up with the Spirit is coming back to the truth. I have found without fail that whenever I am fouled up and distracted, the Holy Spirit always brings me back to the truth. God is faithful. If keeping in step with the Spirit is receiving God's comfort in times of trial and pain, falling behind is doubting that God really cares for us and is with us in that suffering, and so keeping in step in the Spirit is believing that "Nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus." (paul said that in the context of the Spirit's ministry in our suffering). If walking in the Spirit is believing the Spirit's testimony about Jesus, then falling behind is thinking of ourselves outside of our relationship with Christ, so keeping up with the Spirit is believing the Spirit's testimony as seen in Romans 8. 16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ." To be a co-heir with Christ basically means that your presence on earth as a child of God is just as important to God as was Jesus' presence on earth when he walked here. That is the truth of the gospel--your are secure in God's love and significant in his plan....we get distracted and fall behind when we believe lies, doubt our union with Christ and think of ourselves apart from and separate from Christ, and we catch up instantly when we change our thinking to the truth about our union with Christ.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Bill:

thanks for that great reminder and encouragement.

Regards,

Jonesy
September 17, 2009 at 6:48 PM
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